Monterey County crops fall 6.1% in value last year
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo has announced the release of the 2023 Annual Crop and Livestock Report, which recorded a production gross value of just over $4.35 billion, reflecting a 6.1% decrease from 2022.
“The values represented here reflect gross values...
Women in agtech: Jackie Vazquez
Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,” which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology.
Jackie Vazquez spends the majority of...
Salinas Valley Fair’s junior livestock auction nets nearly $1M
SALINAS VALLEY — A total of $981,000 was raised for 415 animals at this year’s Salinas Valley Fair junior livestock auction, which took place Saturday before a small crowd of buyers as well as an online component at the fairgrounds in King City.
Still photos...
Mushroom compost supports Salinas Valley farmers
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey Mushrooms, a mushroom grower based in Morgan Hill, has announced the release of its Certified Organic Spent Mushroom Compost (COSMC) to row crop and leafy green farmers throughout the Salinas Valley.
A finely balanced mixture of straw, peat moss, cottonseed meal,...
Food for power
Cesar Mendoza had been a participant in Food, What?!, an organization that brings the youth of Santa Cruz County into the world of farming, food production and cooking.
Weed control effort seeks to curb virus threat for Salinas Valley’s lettuce
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County has enacted a mandatory abatement program for select weeds as part of an effort to contain the impatiens necrotic spot virus, or INSV, which has severely impacted the region’s lettuce crop in recent years.
Officials are urging residents who notice...
King City High School junior crowned 2025 Miss Salinas Valley Fair
KING CITY — Jordan Davis, a 16-year-old junior at King City High School, has been named the 2025 Miss Salinas Valley Fair.
The competition, held March 13-14 at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, saw Davis compete against fellow King City teen Aaliyah Sarina in categories including...
Monterey County Board of Supervisors to mark 50th anniversary of ‘El Cortito’ ban
SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors will host a special ceremony on Tuesday, June 10, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a landmark legal case that arose out of the Salinas Valley and outlawed the use of “El Cortito,” or the short-handled...
Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit promotes importance of workforce education
SALINAS VALLEY — A panel of experts discussed current challenges in agriculture, such as the future of the workforce and the role of education, during the eighth annual Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit.
The two-day session spanned more than eight and a half hours of...
